In reply to:

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After awhile you get really good at reading the vehicle language (like body language but with cars) of your fellow motorists and you know whos going to cut you off, or who can be cut off.

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Yeah, this is a very useful skill and I think it applies everywhere. Being able to read the traffic and know who to avoid, who is going to let you in and who is just blundering along not paying attention to anything makes it all much more easy. I think it's the way to avoid aggravation and road rage.

Mind you, I got a guy the other day that didn't know some of the basics, like the old rule that "trying to beat a guy in a sports car at the lights by coming up in the turn lane and then hammering it is fraught with difficulty and woe". It's a one-lane road but the traffic lights have space for two cars, and being Melbourne you can bet that there's going to be someone who decides that they can't be fourth car, they want to try to race the first car. So I'm keeping my eye on the left mirror and sure enough there's someone; he hangs back a bit trying to get a roll start but he's only got a small modern car so it shouldn't be a problem against the modest performance of my NX.

Sure enough, the lights go green and we're neck and neck, me slightly in front having got the better start. But does he give up as the first parked car in his lane looms up? No, he displays that other trait of Melbourne drivers and decides that he can make it someone else's problem - he just moves sideways to push me into the other lane. I make room. We're still pretty even, but unfortunately his little bimbo box runs out of revs at that point and he has to change. My car still has 3500 RPM to go, it's hitting its power band, so I shoot ahead and get back into the lane. Then we get back to doing 60KPH.

It really makes my blood boil when people don't know the road rules, like 'never try to beat a guy in a red sports car'

Have fun,

Paul

P.S. OK, yes, maybe I should be a considerate driver and let him have his insignificant victory and actually be safe on the roads. Maybe I shouldn't have so much testosterone running around, or shouldn't be so competitive. But hot damn it felt good. And maybe he'll learn to read the traffic as well.